Abstract
Self-serving bias suggests that people tend to attribute success to internal factors and attribute failure to external factors (Bradley, J Pers Soc Psychol 36:56–71,1978; Miller and Ross, Psychol Bull 82:213–225,1975). However, the results of the attribution of failure are not always consistent. Some studies have found that people attribute failure to external factors (Snyder, Stephan, & Rosenfileld, 1976) and others suggest that people attribute failure to internal factors (Ross et al., J Pers Soc Psychol 29:609–618,1974). I tested self-serving bias in two different contexts in mainland China: in one, test results were public (students had access to each other’s test results) and in the other, test results were private (students only had access to his/her own results). When a context triggers individuals to compare themselves to others, individuals may alter their attribution of failure in order to preserve their self-image and self-esteem. Data were analyzed by repeated measure ANOVA, and the results show that in a public context people tend to attribute failure more to external factors than to themselves. Also, results suggest that people attribute failure less to themselves in a public context than in a private context.
Highlights
A significant interaction effect is observed between the test results and attribution type in the public context (F(1, 12) = 7.94, p < 0.05) and in the private context (F(1, 12) = 5.68, p < 0.05)
Manipulation check Participants in the public context felt it was more likely that others would see his/her results (M = 3.86, Standard Deviation (SD) = 0.71.) than those did in the private context (M = 2.11, SD = 1.12), F(1, 87) = 7.30, p < 0.001)
This study aims to explore in certain social contexts how individuals attribute their success and failure, and to test the influence of context on self-serving bias
Summary
We need a reason when we make a decision or make an evaluation or judgment of our actions. Much research has been done on how people attribute their success or failure to different causes in different contexts. Actor/observer differences: people involved in an action (actors) view things differently from people not involved (observers). People’s judgments of attribution are often distorted along those lines (Block & Funder, 1986). Kelley & Michela (1980) examines how people decide whether an internal or an external attribution will be made People’s judgments of attribution are often distorted along those lines (Block & Funder, 1986). Kelley & Michela (1980) examines how people decide whether an internal or an external attribution will be made
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